Updating . .
Sacramento sheriff’s deputy killed in hotel shootout. Two CHP officers shot, hospitalized -- Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy Robert French died Wednesday in a shootout at an Auburn Boulevard hotel, Sheriff Scott Jones said this afternoon. French, 52, died on the way to the hospital, Jones said. He was a 21-year veteran of the department and worked as a training officer with the north area patrol unit. Cathy Locke, Anita Chabria and Tony Bizjak in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/30/17
Ousted leader’s advice to fellow Republicans: Stop ‘repelling’ Californians -- Days after losing his position as leader of Assembly Republicans, Chad Mayes was entertaining lobbyists and lawmakers at a bar near the state Capitol, raising money for his re-election with a live video message from Arnold Schwarzenegger. Laurel Rosenhal Calmatters.org -- 8/30/17
Assembly Republicans want to close 'loophole' for local tax proposals written by citizen groups -- The announcement comes on the heels of a California Supreme Court ruling on Monday that local ballot initiatives imposing new taxes for specific purposes may need only a simple majority of voters to approve. Mina Corpuz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/17
Think Harvey-like flooding couldn’t happen to Sacramento? Think again -- Taxpayers have spent billions of dollars on dams, levees and bypasses to keep Sacramento and other Central Valley towns and cities from flooding, but experts say the infrastructure would prove no match for a megastorm like the one that pummeled Houston this week. Ryan Sabalow in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/30/17
Eric Garcetti won’t rule out run for California governor -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who is stirring the 2020 presidential rumor mill with recent trips to New Hampshire and Wisconsin, declined Wednesday to rule out a run next year for California governor. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/30/17
California Senate leader Kevin de León fires back at Sen. Dianne Feinstein's call for 'patience' with Trump -- The leader of California's state Senate on Wednesday sharply criticized a call from Sen. Dianne Feinstein for "patience" with President Trump, suggesting it was tantamount to being "complicit" in his behavior. John Myers and Mina Corpuz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/17
After 24 years, wealthy inventor gets his day in tax court – and wins -- A California tax board slashed millions of dollars in taxes and penalties that a wealthy computer chip inventor faced after state tax collectors accused him of fabricating a move to Nevada just as he started to cash in on a lucrative patent he obtained in 1990. Adam Ashton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/30/17
Legislator proposes putting local races ahead of presidential elections on California ballot to boost participation -- Concerned about low voter participation in local elections, state Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada-Flintridge) proposed Wednesday that the order of future ballots be flipped so that local contests would be first and presidential or gubernatorial races would be last. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/17
Crackdown on H-1B visas leaves lowest-paid applicants hanging -- The changes are consistent with the Trump administration’s desire to curtail lower-paid foreigners from coming into the country, and constitute a significant shakeup to the H-1B program that many Silicon Valley companies rely on to staff technical positions. Trisha Thadani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/17
‘Sanctuary’ cities: Santa Clara County seeks to permanently nix Trump’s defunding order -- On the heels of legal victories last month, Santa Clara will on Wednesday ask a federal court to declare unconstitutional and permanently ban enforcement of an executive order de-funding “sanctuary” jurisdictions. Eric Kurhi in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/30/17
Fox: SB 2’s Tax Hurdle -- Senator Toni Atkins’ Senate Bill 2 is focused on one of the gnawing problems eating away at California’s people and economy—affordable housing. Yet, the bill is struggling to gain the necessary two-thirds vote. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 8/30/17
Growing wildfire east of Lake Oroville destroys 10 homes; 1,500 people told to flee -- The Ponderosa fire erupted just after 1:15 p.m. Tuesday in a wooded and rugged area about two miles northwest of Forbestown, 21 miles east of Oroville, said Mary Ann Aldrich, spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in Butte County. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ Laura Sussman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/30/17
At least 100 structures threatened by Railroad Fire near Yosemite, as Highway 41 remains closed -- A raging inferno that started a short distance south from Yosemite National Park, forcing the evacuation of Fish Camp including at Tenaya Lodge, was at 920 acres and 5% contained Wednesday morning. Mark Evan Smith in the Fresno Bee -- 8/30/17
Lawyers in East Bay corruption case see racial profiling in FBI stings -- The attorneys for two Oakland contractors charged with bid rigging in an offshoot of the FBI investigations that netted former state Sen. Leland Yee and Chinatown gangster Raymond “Shrimp Boy” Chow are accusing the FBI of conducting a decadelong campaign to entrap African Americans in and out of office in crimes that the agency itself created. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/17
Dole, the world’s largest fresh fruit and vegetable company, is stepping back from Southland -- Dole Food Co. is planning to sell its sprawling corporate headquarters and uproot its strawberry operations in Southern California as it seeks to sweeten its books ahead of yet another public stock offering. Geoffrey Mohan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/17
Martins Beach: Key vote could force tech billionaire Vinod Khosla to sell public route to beach he closed -- The battle over opening Martins Beach to the public will face a key test this week as lawmakers in Sacramento decide the fate of a bill that could clear the way for the state to purchase a public route through the property from tech billionaire Vinod Khosla. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/30/17
Lopez: Hey President Trump, leave the San Gabriel Mountains alone -- When the temperature hits 100 degrees in Southern California, lots of people think beach. On Tuesday morning, as the asphalt began to cook under a stubborn late-August sun, I went north, instead. To the mountains. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/17
Many L.A. students get to college; only a few finish -- A study released Wednesday put an exclamation point on something that Los Angeles Unified School District officials already have acknowledged: too few of their graduates — about one in four — are earning a college degree. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/17
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Will protesters try to block Golden Gate Bridge Wednesday morning? -- Transit and public safety officials said they are aware of a conservative activist’s call for an unpermitted rally and effort to block the Golden Gate Bridge starting with Wednesday morning’s rush hour. George Kelly in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/30/17
Big challenge in stemming Berkeley protest violence: Bringing cases to court -- Scenes of chaos have repeatedly emerged from Berkeley this year — people pummeling each other with punches, kicks and makeshift weapons, from sticks to pepper spray to bike locks, amid clashes between right-wing activists and left-wing counterprotesters in the famously political city. Kurtis Alexander and Evan Sernoffsky in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/17
Violence from white supremacist groups should be treated as terrorist acts, committee says -- In response to the deadly rally in Charlottesville this month, the Senate Public Safety Committee on Tuesday approved two resolutions urging state and local law enforcement agencies to treat violent acts by white nationalists and neo-Nazi groups as terrorist attacks. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/17
Blasted from all sides, Berkeley police get mostly kudos from community -- The jeers lobbed at Berkeley police officers during Sunday’s right-wing rally spilled over into Monday and Tuesday — via emails and calls from people all over the world, police say. People apparently riled up by images and videos of right-wing demonstrators getting pummeled with no police in sight have been venting to Berkeley police. One officer said he’s taken calls from Florida, Georgia and Australia. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/17
Feinstein surprises San Francisco crowd by expressing hope for Trump -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein may be San Francisco’s favorite politician, but she quickly learned Tuesday evening that even a wildly popular ex-mayor can get into trouble if she tries to say something nice about President Trump. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/17
Sen. Dianne Feinstein laments that Trump hasn't brought the nation together -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Tuesday said now more than ever President Trump should work to unite and heal the country. “The one thing he needs to do, in my view, is bring this nation together, and he hasn’t done that,” Feinstein said at a Commonwealth Club event in San Francisco. Mina Corpuz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/17
Sen. Dianne Feinstein booed at San Francisco event after saying she hopes Trump can change -- U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein was booed by some constituents Tuesday night when she said President Donald Trump could be a good president if he changed his approach to the job and brought the nation together. Casey Tolan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/30/17
Feinstein Advises Patience for Trump, Risks Angering Democrats -- In an appearance at a Commonwealth Club event in San Francisco, Dianne Feinstein urged patience before judging the presidency of Donald Trump, leading some to wonder if she's out of touch with her party's base. Scott Shafer KQED -- 8/30/17
Brown, lawmakers work on package of bills to solve state housing crisis -- California would take on the problem of soaring rents and a scarcity of affordable homes under a package of housing bills that could come up for a vote as early as Friday. Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/17
Walters: Cash from pollution permits sparks feeding frenzy in Capitol -- There’s something of a feeding frenzy underway in the Capitol during the final weeks of the 2017 legislative session. Dan Walters Calmatters.org -- 8/30/17
Capitol Weekly’s Top 100 List – 2017 -- There are 22 people new to this year’s ranking compared with 2016 — changes that we believe reflect political and policy developments in the Capitol. And for those who aren’t on the list this time around: Some retired, some got new gigs, and some just weren’t as central to the political zeitgeist as they were last year. Others have simply moved up or down the ranks. The biggest single change is in our No. 1 position, which is held this year by Gov. Brown’s chief of staff, Nancy McFadden. Capitol Weekly -- 8/30/17
Voters are skeptical of a new state law that overhauls how Californians cast ballots -- A new statewide poll shows widespread voter opposition to a California law that allows counties to close polling places and instead rely on absentee ballots and a limited number of multipurpose election centers. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ Mary Plummer KPCC -- 8/30/17
Democratic nurse and school board member announces bid against Republican Rep. Jeff Denham -- Emergency room nurse Sue Zwahlen is joining the race to try to unseat Central Valley Republican Rep. Jeff Denham. Zwahlen, a 63-year-old Democrat, has been elected twice to the Modesto City Schools Board of Education. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/17
Rep. Denham, young immigrant agree on this path to legal status at Modesto event -- Tomas Evangelista could not join the U.S. Navy or go to college because he had come from Mexico illegally when he was 2. Life got better when the federal government eased the rules for certain young people in 2012, Evangelista told a Modesto audience Tuesday. John Holland in the Modesto Bee -- 8/30/17
Democrats poised to give Nathan Fletcher an early endorsement — before Bonnie Dumanis makes a move -- The San Diego County Democratic Party is poised to endorse former Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher for county supervisor, an early move officials said is an attempt to discourage former District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis from entering the race. Joshua Stewart in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 8/30/17
Initiative would require all eggs in California to come from cage-free hens -- Nine years after California voters decided that egg-laying hens must be given more space, animal-rights activists on Tuesday filed papers for a new initiative requiring the birds to be kept cage-free. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/17
Taxes, Fees, Rates, Tolls, Bonds
How much might 'the California Water Fix' cost LA? -- A Los Angeles City Council committee heard public debate Tuesday over the amount that a massive project known as the California Water Fix could add to the water bills of local ratepayers. According to a study by the city’s Office of Public Accountability/Ratepayer Advocate, it could be as little as $1.73 per month. But project opponent cite an independent study concluding the cost could be more than $7 a month. Sharon McNary KPCC -- 8/30/17
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
LA County seeking more contracts with small businesses -- The county’s Contracting Connections program seeks to increase the percentage of eligible contracts that go to certified local small businesses to 25 percent. Kevin Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 8/30/17
More evidence of the construction worker shortage -- A new survey from the Associated General Contractors of America found that 70 percent of construction firms are having a hard time finding skilled workers like carpenters, bricklayers, electricians and plumbers. Andrea Bernstein KPCC -- 8/30/17
Environmental groups win documents related to Nestle operations in San Bernardino National Forest -- Environmental groups seeking to stop Swiss-based Nestle from pumping millions of gallons of water from the San Bernardino National Forest, for little more than $500 a year, have prevailed in an effort to obtain documents from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Jim Steinberg in the Riverside Press$ -- 8/30/17
San Diego County's biggest union announces strike date -- As tensions continue to escalate in ongoing contract negotiations, San Diego County government’s largest labor union announced Tuesday night that its members will go on strike Sept. 12 and 13. Joshua Stewart in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 8/30/17
Homeless
San Jose: Council approves a pilot program for “tiny homes” for homeless -- After more than a year of debate, elected leaders Tuesday approved a pilot program to build up to three “tiny home” villages for the homeless — but the fight over where to place the unconventional homeless housing rages on. Ramona Giwargis in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/30/17
Housing
Wildfire
Education
California standardized test scores delayed by error in special education students' scores -- California's data-related delay in the release of its state standardized test scores is due to a mix-up in some special education students' scores, an official said Tuesday. Joy Resmovits the Los Angeles Times$ John Fensterwald EdSource -- 8/30/17
UCSF lab faulted in deaths of 4 animals -- Federal inspectors have disclosed that four laboratory animals at UCSF died in cases in which researchers failed to follow proper surgical procedures. Alison Graham in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/17
LA Unified pursuing path from conflict to district-charter collaboration in how it shares space – Grappling with long-standing tensions related to charter school expansion, Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Michelle King is implementing changes designed to help district-managed schools and charter schools share school buildings and best educational practices — measures designed to promote collaboration and reduce conflicts over access to classrooms. George White Edsource -- 8/30/17
Smarter Balanced scores could be delayed more than two weeks – The California Department of Education now hopes to publicly release statewide results of the Smarter Balanced assessments in math and reading by Sept. 13, after a delay caused by inaccurate data received from its test contractor. John Fensterwald EdSource.
Cannabis
Will Fresno pass a ban on marijuana businesses? Council members have sharp differences -- After a tempestuous two-hour hearing in June, the Fresno City Council narrowly voted to take the first step to ban recreational marijuana businesses in the city. More fireworks could be in store Thursday morning, when the city’s planning department presents its draft of the proposed law to the council. Tim Sheehan in the Fresno Bee -- 8/30/17
Environment
California Needs To Invest Billions For Flood Protection -- Tropical Storm Harvey has dumped 15 trillion gallons of water on southeastern Texas. Scientists warn that with climate change, future storms will be wetter and more intense - that includes in California. The state will see more rain than snow, straining an aging Central Valley flood protection system. Amy Quinton Capital Public Radio -- 8/30/17
Coalition forms to protect California’s threatened salmon runs -- A coalition of government agencies and advocates for sustainable fisheries came together Tuesday to launch a long-term effort to save California’s beleaguered salmon populations in the Sacramento and San Joaquin river systems. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/17
New emission-cutting technology expected for Torrance refinery -- A yearlong pilot project using new technology designed to cut nitrous oxide emissions at the Torrance refinery is expected to win approval Friday from the governing board of the region’s air pollution watchdog. Nick Green in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 8/30/17
Also . . .
Deadly online rap battle prompts Sacramento to move forward on controversial gang program -- A deadly shooting in Meadowview over the weekend related to a trio of local rappers and the gangs who support them pushed the Sacramento City Council to immediately approve a controversial gun-violence prevention program that targets the handful of young men suspected of being behind most of the violence. Anita Chabria and Ryan Lillis in the Sacramento Bee$ -- Bob Moffitt Capital Public Radio -- 8/30/17
File one too many flood claims and you could be in for a nasty surprise -- Hurricane Harvey is not expected to raise National Flood Insurance Program premiums, with one possible exception. Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/17
Rocket was scheduled to die. Now the ex-Sacramento shelter dog is aiding first responders in Houston -- Five years ago, a Sacramento shelter dog named Rocket was deemed too energetic to be adopted and scheduled for euthanasia. Now, Rocket is helping out in Hurricane Harvey as a search dog trained to work with first responders in disasters. Hannah Knowles in the Sacramento Bee$ Michelle Robertson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/17
Columbus Day may soon be over in LA, replaced by Indigenous Peoples Day -- Will Los Angeles do away with Columbus Day and celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day instead? That’s the question the L.A. City Council will be asked Wednesday, as the panel considers abandoning Columbus Day, which is observed on the second Monday of October. Elizabeth Chou in the Los Angeles Daily News$ David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/17
LA Waterfront ready to party for Fleet Week as ships arrive -- Marking the arrival of the second annual LA Fleet Week, streets in downtown San Pedro will be closed Wednesday night for an outdoor welcoming party that will feature live music, dancing and plenty of food and drink. Donna Littlejohn in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 8/30/17
POTUS 45
Even in visiting hurricane-ravaged Texas, Trump keeps the focus on himself -- As rescuers continued their exhausting and heartbreaking work in southeastern Texas on Tuesday afternoon, as the rain continued to fall and a reservoir near Houston spilled over, President Trump grabbed a microphone to address hundreds of supporters who had gathered outside a firehouse near Corpus Christi and were chanting: “USA! USA! USA!” Jenna Johnson in the Washington Post$ -- 8/30/17
Trump’s mouth battles the storm -- When it rains, it seems to pour — right out of President Donald Trump’s mouth. Henry C. Jackson Politico -- 8/30/17
Beltway
Federal flood insurance program in limbo on Capitol Hill as Harvey’s toll mounts -- The devastation Hurricane Harvey has wrought in southeastern Texas has brought new focus to the National Flood Insurance Program — and to a pending Republican effort to restructure and partially privatize an industry that has been effectively subsidized with tens of billions of federal taxpayer dollars. Mike DeBonis in the Washington Post$ -- 8/30/17
-- Tuesday Updates
Democrats lack votes to pass key California housing bill -- Three Democrats in the Assembly told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday afternoon they remained undecided on Senate Bill 2, a measure that would add a $75 fee on many real estate transactions to fund low-income housing development. Liam Dillon the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/29/17
L.A. City Council votes to end ban on sales of 'ultracompact' guns -- The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to end a longstanding ban on the sale of “ultracompact” firearms, rolling back the rule in the face of legal threats from gun rights groups. Emily Alpert Reyes the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/29/17
Billions in lower-income housing incentives nailed down by California Democratic leaders -- California legislative leaders have reached a deal on a pair of key housing bills expected to generate billions of dollars and lead to construction of 70,000 affordable housing units across the state. Angela Hart the the Sacramento Bee$ Liam Dillon the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/29/17
GOP healthcare vote inspires another challenger for California's Rep. Jeff Denham -- It was healthcare that inspired Riverbank small business owner Virginia Madueño to become the newest person to challenge Republican Rep. Jeff Denham in California's Central Valley. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/29/17
California state senators want big bucks for cleaner trucks and buses -- A cadre of Democratic state senators are pushing to spend nearly $1 billion over the next year to replace diesel trucks, buses and other vehicles with cleaner versions. Chris Megerian the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/29/17
Los Angeles Rep. Karen Bass endorses Antonio Villaraigosa in governor's race -- U.S. Rep. Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) endorsed Antonio Villaraigosa’s gubernatorial bid on Tuesday, arguing that his record of fighting for equal rights over the four decades she has known him demonstrates he would be the best candidate in the 2018 race to lead all Californians. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/29/17
L.A. Unified after-school coach sentenced to 105 years in prison for molesting girls on campus -- A coach for a Los Angeles Unified School District after-school program was sentenced to 105 years to life in prison Tuesday for molesting multiple students over several years. Joseph Serna the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/29/17
Brown’s commutations: A journey through violence, redemption -- The stories behind Gov. Jerry Brown’s nine recent sentence commutations reveal tangled lives marked by murder, abuse, addiction and determined efforts by criminals — usually over decades — to turn their lives around. Chuck McFadden Capitol Weekly -- 8/29/17
LA mayor Garcetti to Trump: Don’t abandon DACA Dreamers -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti joined 60 mayors from across the nation Tuesday calling on the Trump administration to preserve a federal program that has let nearly 800,000 people stay in the United States. Ryan Carter the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 8/29/17
As Trump weighs future of DACA, Dreamers fear the end is near -- Dreamers and immigration activists across the nation are bracing themselves for the likely end of DACA, a controversial program that has granted more than 800,000 young undocumented immigrants temporary deportation relief. Tatiana Sanchez the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/29/17
Immigrant advocates hold prayer service in Gov. Jerry Brown's office to support 'sanctuary state' legislation -- With negotiations heading down to the wire on California's so-called "sanctuary state" legislation, more than a dozen faith leaders poured into Gov. Jerry Brown's office Tuesday to show their support for immigrants who are in the country illegally. Jazmine Ulloa the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/29/17
Schwarzenegger props up Mayes after lawmaker's support of cap-and-trade costs him GOP leadership post -- Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday offered support for Assemblyman Chad Mayes, who recently lost his Republican leadership post because of his support for the cap-and-trade climate change program championed by Democrats. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/29/17
Californians asked to conserve energy Tuesday as temperatures soar -- With sweltering heat expected to deliver triple-digit temperatures Tuesday to much of the state, the California Independent System Operator issued a flex alert, asking residents and businesses to voluntarily cut back electricity use between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. Mark Gomez in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/29/17
'Antifa' violence in Berkeley spurs soul-searching within leftist activist community -- Of the dozens of organizations that turned out for Sunday’s mass protest against racism here, one group was impossible to miss. Paige St. John and James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/29/17
Lessons learned from Sunday’s clash of protesters in Berkeley -- When the right wing comes to left-wing Berkeley, public safety is no guarantee, especially when black-clad anarchists get involved. Nanette Asimov and Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/29/17
California governor candidate Travis Allen had $42,000 in late income tax -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Travis Allen’s number one campaign issue is taxes. Casey Tolan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/29/17
Medi-Cal dispute leaves thousands looking for doctors in three Valley counties -- CalViva Health has terminated a contract with Kaiser Permanente, leaving about 9,000 people on Medi-Cal in Fresno, Kings and Madera counties to find new doctors beginning Sept. 1. Barbara Anderson in the Fresno Bee -- 8/29/17
Uber says it'll stop tracking riders after they're dropped off -- Uber will end a controversial policy of tracking some riders for five minutes after their trip ends, the ride-hailing company said Tuesday as it tries to repair its privacy reputation. Jim Puzzanghera in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/29/17
Daimler inaugurates incubator in Silicon Valley -- German automaker Daimler AG has, for more than a century, focused primarily on one mission — building and selling cars. Now, facing a future in which private car ownership may fade, Daimler is ramping up efforts to create new products and services — even business models. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/29/17
Knight: San Francisco housing tale goes strangely right — residents like rehab work -- Stories of San Francisco housing woes rarely have happy endings, but thankfully for one 90-year-old woman and her neighbors, there is an exception. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/29/17